Cattle-guard.



110.879,26). PATENTBD FEB. 1a, 1908.14 J. J. HARRISON 6I W. A. OWINGS.

CATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED Arn 2v9.1907.

2 SHEETS-Saum 1 v PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908. J. J. HARRISON & W. A. OWINGS. v

CATTLE GUARD.

ArrLwATIoN FILED APB. za, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

JOHN J. HAHRISON AND WILLIAM A. OWINGS, OF PRYOR GREEK, OKLAHOMA.

CATTLE-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1908.

Application filed April 29| 19 07. Serial No. 370910.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, Jol-IN J. HARRISON and WILLIAM A. OwrNcs, citizens of the United States, residing at Pryor Creek, Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cattle-Guards; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in cattle guards for railroads and bridges.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple inexpensive, durable and efficient device of this character in which a horizontallydisposed gate or guard will swing into vertical position when an animal attempts to 4pass thro ugh the opening in the fence, through which the track extends.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a plan view of this improved railway cattle guard; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough showing in full and dotted lines the two positions of a gate ofthe guard; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the gate. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the section bars for connecting the sections of the movable platform. Fig. 6 represents a detail of the support for the movable platform.

In the embodiment illustrated. 1 denotes the ties and 2 the track rails secured to the ties and extended through an opening in a fence 3.

This improved cattle guard which is designed to prevent the passage of animals over the track and through the opening in the felice 3 into the right-of-way and to allow them to pass over the guard from the rightof-way on to the public high-way consists of a stationary platform 4 and a vertically movable platform 5. The movable platform 5 is mounted on suitable supporting springs as 6 secured to the ties 1 so that4 the platform will be depressed when an animal steps upon l it, the springs serving to return the platform to its normal position when the animal steps off. This movable platform 5 is composed of a central section 7 arranged between the rails and side sections 8 and 9 arranged on the outer sides of the rails. These sections are each composed of wooden pickets or boards 10, all of which are secured to crossbars 1 1 which have recesses as 12 to lit under the rails, said cross bars connecting the three l by means of bearing plates 36.

sections. These cross bars are preferably made in three sections, as shown in Fig. 5, to permit the platform to be put down and taken up without disturbing the rails.

A horizontally arranged shaft 15 is rotatably mounted in sleeves 16 of depending brackets 17 clamped to the bases of the rails. This shaft 15 is disposed at right-angles to .the rails directly opposite the wings on the right-of-way fence. Levers as 1S are connected at one end to the shaft 15 and at their other ends to the movable platform sections 7, 8 and 9 by straps as 19. These platform sections are also connected with said shaft 15 by means of pitmen 20 pivoted at 21 to the sections and connected to the shaft by links as 22. Mounted on this shaft 15 are gate sections 23, 24 and 25 formed of pickets as 26. These pickets are connected by straps as 27 and are fixed on the shaft 15 by clamps as 28 so that when the shaft is turned, the gate sections move with it.

The stationary platform 4 is arranged adjacent -to the movable platform 5 at the side to which the gate is connected. This platform 4 is preferably composed of flat bars 31 and triangular bars 32 so spaced and arranged as to come between the pickets of the gate sections when the latter are in lowered or normal position. The triangular bars 32 are disposed with one of their sharp angles projecting upwardly so that when an animal steps thereon, ,its foot will slide djown the incline on to the adjacent gate picket and hold the gate in lowered position until the animal A reaches the movable platform with its front feet when the gate will raise up and force it on to the movable platform and it may then pass into the public highway.

The side of the movable platform 5 opposite the side to which the gate is connected has the ends of its pickets or bars hingedlyl connected to rods or shafts as 35 preferably These shafts 35'have recesses as 37 to receive the rails and are provided with oppositely extending clamps as 38 to engage the top faces of the bases of the rails and hold the shafts securely clamped thereto. In the use of this apparatus, the guard is placed in position with the central section 7 of the movable platform arrangedbetween the rails on a public highway or adjacent a bridge and with the side sections 8 and 9 on either side of the rails, the pickets thereof preferably extending parallel with the track rails. The shaft 15 is disposed directly opposite the wings of the right-of-way fence, being placed in such position that when a cow or other animal attempts to enter the right-of-way from the public highway, it will be compelled to step on the vertically movable platform which will sink down to the ties a distance of about two inches, which depression causes the shaft 15 to rock or turn a one-fourth revolution thereby operating the bell-crank levers and the pitmen and causing the gate sections to rise into up-right position, thus closing the track opening from wing to wing of the right-of-way fence. The gate will remain in upright position as long as the animal stays on the movable platform and as soon as it leaves the springs 6 will force the platform up, rock the shaft l5 and cause the gate sections to fall into normal position. Should an animal, however, break through the right-of-way fence and get into the right-ofway beyond the guard, it may get out on to the public highway from the guard by stepping on to the stationary platform, the inclined faces of the pickets of which will cause its feet to slip down on to the gate pickets and hold the gate in lowered position until the animal passes on to the movable platform, as hereinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new is,-

1. A cattle guard comprising a vertically movable platform, a vertically swinging picket gate arranged at one end of said platform and adapted to lie normally in lowered position, means arranged to extend between the pickets of the gate when in lowered position to cause an animal stepping thereon to slip down onto the gate pickets and hold the gate in lowered position until the animal passes onto said movable platform.

2; A cattle guard comprising a vertically movable platform, a stationary platform disposed at one end thereof, a vertically swinging picket gate adapted to lie normally on said fixed platform, means carried by said fixed platform and projecting through the pickets of the gate when in lowered position to cause an animal stepping thereon to slip onto the gate pickets and hold the gate in lowered position, and means connecting said gate and vertically movable platform to swing said gate upward when said platform is depressed.

3, A cattle guard comprising a vertically movable platform, a stationary platform disposed at one end thereof and having sharp edged bars projected upwardly therefrom, a vertically swinging picket gate adapted to lie on said fixed platform with the sharp edged bars of the platform projecting through the pickets of the gate and means connecting said gate and vertically movable platform to swing said gate upward when said platform is depressed.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JoIIN LI. HARRISON. WILLIAM A. owINes.

Vitnesses.

I. H. NELsoN, A. M. CULLINGS. 

